Fowl play in Birmingham

Jun 18 2008

IT'S the Bull Ring as it used to be.

Back in August 1947 traders celebrated the lifting of the anti fowl-pest ban.

The sale of poultry had been banned for 13 weeks after a Midland out-break.

A brisk trade greeted the dealers on their return to the usual pitches.

But even then, there was red tape. "We have to fill in a form for every bird we sell," one trader grumbled.

And that was suspiciously like government fowl play.